Chapter Eleven is You

  Oh, it's still that matter, asking for a collection and!

  The room suddenly fell silent, and Xu Li said softly: "Yes!"

  "Really? Who are they? Tell me!" Xǔ Zǐyān asked curiously.

  "I now believe you're living in a remote mountain village, Purple Smoke. You actually don't know the influential figures on the continent! It's imaginable how secluded the place you've been is." Saying this, he looked at Xu Ziyuan with emotion and let out a light sigh: "If it weren't for your uncle discovering you, a peerless talent would have been buried like that."

  Xu Ziyuan's face turned red with embarrassment, and she said in a soft voice: "Xu Li, stop teasing me, I'm not very knowledgeable, you quickly tell me about it."

  Xu Li suddenly turned pale, extremely serious, and said to Xu Ziyan: "Ziyan, you will definitely not be a mediocre person in the future, you will definitely soar to great heights, don't forget about us when that time comes."

  "Yes! Ziyan, don't you forget about us." The others also looked at Xu Ziyuan with extreme seriousness at this time, their eyes revealing expectation.

  Xu Ziyuan was suddenly left at a loss by everyone, but she quickly understood that this was what everyone had imagined for their own future, hoping that after becoming strong, they would be able to take care of them. To put it bluntly, the four people in front of her, from the age of three, had been cultivating until they were fifteen and barely reached the fifth layer of acquired cultivation, and indeed there was no longer any major development. Even if Xu Ziyuan kept giving them medicinal pills, it was impossible for them to become a peak existence. So it was normal for them to have this idea.

  Xiang Qingyun thought it through and quickly adjusted her mindset. She knew that if she remained humble at this time, she might be misunderstood by everyone. So, with a smile, she said:

  "If I really make it big in the future and soar to great heights, Zi Yan will definitely not forget everyone's kindness today."

  "Good!" Everyone was overjoyed, clapping and laughing loudly.

  After laughing, Xu Li slightly organized her language and said softly:

  "This continent is very large, our Xu family is located in the north of the continent, and we don't know much about it due to our status. I only know that there are four major families in the north, namely the Han family of Juque City, the Zhou family of Canglang City, the Yang family of Nanlin City, and our Zhongdu City's Xu family."

  It is said that the Zhou family of Canglang City has produced a genius named Zhou Hao, who is the son of the current head of the Zhou family. He started practicing at the age of three and broke through to the fifth layer of the post-heavenly realm at the age of five. At seven years old, he entered the pre-heavenly realm. Now eighteen years old, he has already reached the fifth layer of the Qi Refining stage.

  In the south of Lin City, the Yang family also produced a genius named Yang Linglong, who was the daughter of the current head of the Yang family. Her progress was almost identical to Zhou Hao's, and she was now eighteen years old with a cultivation level at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining stage.

  As for the Han family of Giant Gate City, they didn't produce any particularly talented individuals. It's said that the most outstanding young member of the Han family is a young master named Han Cheng, who is only 17 years old and has only reached the second layer of Qi Refining. In contrast, our Xu family's most outstanding member is the son of Ninth Uncle, named Xu Tianlang, who is said to be on the verge of breaking through to the third layer of Qi Refining.

  "So the most powerful ones are Zhou Hao and Yang Linglong?"

  Xu Ziyuan asked softly. She felt a little disappointed after hearing Xu Li's words. At the age of 15, and only cultivating for a few months, she had already reached the second layer of the Qi Refining stage.

  She believed that with the help of her elixir, when her talismanic skills reached third-grade, she could create a talisman array. At that time, making a soul-gathering talisman array for herself, under the double assistance of elixirs and talismans, her realm would definitely advance faster. Although she started late, she firmly believed that by the time she was eighteen years old, she would not be inferior to Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao. Moreover, as time passed, she would surely surpass them, even leaving them far behind.

  "No!" Xu Li shook her head and said: "This is only in the north, I don't know about other places. And this is just a master of the secular world, as for those disciples in the sects, it's not something that people like us can know. However, one thing is certain, those masters within the sects must have much higher cultivation than those in the secular world. That Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao, if they enter a sect, don't need to enter a big sect, even small sects, I'm afraid they wouldn't even be considered mediocre."

  "Really? How did you know?"

  "In this regard, Xu Ling knows more, so let's just let Xu Ling say it." Xu Li turned her gaze to Xu Ling.

  Xu Ling did not decline, and continued from where Xu Li left off: "My distant cousin was taken in by a small sect called Chi Yang Zong five years ago. When he entered Chi Yang Zong, his cultivation level was at the first layer of Qi Refining stage. Last year when he came back to visit relatives, he said that having a cultivation level of the first layer of Qi Refining stage is the lowest in Chi Yang Zong. People with cultivation levels like Yu Ling Long and Zhou Qiang are everywhere in Chi Yang Zong, they don't even count as talented individuals."

  Xu Ling paused for a moment, then continued: "According to my cousin, the spiritual energy within the sect is much higher than in our ordinary family, and they are also given elixirs. Last year when my cousin came back, he was already at the third layer of Qi Refining."

  A hint of envy flashed in Xu Ling's eyes. The others were also filled with longing, and even Xu Ziyuan was moved. But just for an instant, Xu Ziyuan asked inexplicably:

  "If the sect is so good, why didn't Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao join? If your older cousin's cultivation at the first layer of Qi Refining can join the sect, then shouldn't Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao be even more eligible?"

  "They just want to join a better sect. If they can join a big sect, the cultivation environment there is not something that small sects can compare with." Xu Dezhong said enviously: "In another two years, it will be time for Huayang Sect and Taixuan Sect to open their mountain gates to recruit disciples. I think Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao must want to join one of these two sects, so they didn't go to those small sects."

  "Oh~~" Xu Ziyuan suddenly realized, raised an eyebrow and said: "It seems that Yang Linglong and Zhou Haoshi are not ordinary people after all! They're indeed geniuses, their thinking is different!"

  "Cut! What's the big deal!" Xu Li hummed and said, "I heard that Zhou Hao was actually made out of dan medicine, but Yang Linglong is said to have exceptional talent."

  "What's wrong with taking Dan medicine?" Xu Ziyuan asked in confusion, looking at the expressions of everyone, and couldn't help but feel a little worried.

  Xu Tie Niu said in a deep and sonorous voice: "Completely relying on elixirs to boost one's strength will result in an unstable foundation, making it very difficult to break through in the later stages. Moreover, one's combat power will be slightly weaker compared to others of the same realm."

  Xu Ziyanyan was taken aback, thinking to herself: "That can't be! In my inherited teachings, it's said that after entering the 9th layer of the Refining Qi stage, as long as I take those Dan medicines that boost my cultivation while also eating the Consolidate Foundation Dan, I should be able to resolve the issue of an unstable foundation. So why is Xu Tie Niu saying now that there will be problems with an unstable foundation and weak combat strength? Could it be that the records in my inherited teachings are incorrect?"

  Xu Ziyuan hesitated for a moment, feeling that this matter was too important for herself, so she couldn't help but ask:

  "I've heard people say before that taking Bao Gen Wan can prevent these problems, right?"

  "Solid Foundation Pill?"

  Everyone shouted in surprise and looked at Xu Ziyuan with unfamiliar eyes, making Xu Ziyuan feel a chill down her spine as she weakly said:

  "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

  "Zi Yan, the Ben Dan is already a legendary thing. The recipe has long been lost, if there was Ben Dan, then of course there would be no problem at all. But that's just a dream!" Xu Li shook her head, as if she were dreaming.

  "Has the Single Way been lost?" Xu Ziyuan was taken aback, thinking to herself: "But it's in my inheritance! So that means I shouldn't have any problems taking elixirs. When I reach the ninth layer of Qi Refining, I can just refine some Solid Foundation Elixirs for myself. Just now I thought taking elixirs had side effects? It really scared me to death."

  "But others have the power of elixirs to eat, it's their own strength, we just want to eat, but don't even have the chance." Xu Ling said gloomily.

  Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, and after some thought, they realized that Xu Ling was right. They couldn't help but feel a bit downhearted. Xu Dezhong also sighed and said:

  "We don't dare to take the elixir, fearing that we won't be able to break through to the Innate Realm in this lifetime. If there's an elixir that can help me break through to the Innate Realm, even if my cultivation is unstable, I'm willing to take it."

  "Yes, we are all children of poor families and have mediocre talents. I'm afraid this life will only take us as far as the outer hall. But Ziyan, if you ever get a large amount of elixirs to consume in the future, be cautious."

  "What? How could I have a large quantity of elixirs?" Xǔ Zǐyān smiled wryly to cover herself up.

  "Hehe, who knows, maybe two years later you'll be chosen by the Xuantian Sect and Huayang Sect, then you can eat a lot of elixirs!"

  "Come on, I'm only 16 years old now, don't make fun of me. Let's drink, let's drink!"

  "Good, let's drink!"

  Everyone raised their glasses, clinked them together, and then downed the drink in one gulp. However, after the topic of conversation earlier, everyone's mood was not high, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, so no one had the interest to chat casually anymore. After saying a few more words, everyone settled the bill and left.

  These days, the snow has been falling non-stop, and the thick snow on the ground is very deep. The cold wind blows the snowflakes straight into the neck. Five people trudged through the snow towards the outer hall of the family, and in the flying snowflakes, Xu Ziyuan saw a familiar figure walking from afar. Squinting her eyes to look at him, she immediately recognized that he was the person she had bumped into on her first day in Zhongdu City, on the street, and remembered that Xu Ximei had called him something like Lin Gege back then.

  At this time, both sides had already walked to the front, and that Lin brother also saw Xu Ziyuan and the five people. The four people of Xu Li saw the "Lin brother" opposite them, hurriedly bowed their heads and saluted:

  "Have met Master Xu Lin."

  Xu Lin nodded slightly and when he saw Xu Ziyuan, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, suddenly seeming to recognize Xu Ziyuan, blurting out:

  "It's you!"